The Fire
by ToothPasteCanyon
Summary: The story behind that fire on the title screen.


"And so, I get called to help at this old county fair."

"Mmhmm."

"It's like halfway set up, you know. All these cows."

"Mmhmm."

"So many cows."

"Mmhmm." Bob nodded along to Teddy's story as he scrubbed the counter, deep bags under his eyes. "That was a great story, Teddy."

Teddy frowned. "What? I haven't even gotten to the story part yet!"

"That's great… really great."

"You know, I get the feeling you're not listening, Bob." His eyebrows raised as Bob leaned forwards and faceplanted on the counter, snoring lightly. "Bob? Bob? Oh, jeez, I killed him! _Bob_!"

"I'm awake!" Bob jumped up, looking around in confusion. "Daddy's here… Tina?"

"Bob, you fell asleep. Late night?"

"I… fell asleep? Why'd you wake me?"

"Well, I was telling you one of my stories and-"

Bob stared at him with dark, red eyes. "I haven't slept in four days, Teddy."

"I just thought-"

"Four days!"

"Ah… I guess you don't want to hear my story?" A pause. "Hey, where's Linda? I haven't seen her around since I got here."

"We're taking turns to look after Tina."

"Tina? Oh, yeah, the baby." Teddy snapped his fingers. "That's why you're so tired! I remember now."

"Did I not tell you? I'm sure I told you, like a while ago."

"No, no, you definitely told me. I forget stuff sometimes, nothing personal." He paused. "So, not much sleep then?"

"No."

Teddy leaned back. "Well, it's getting late. You get a good night's sleep, okay?"

"That's not gonna happen, Teddy."

"What? Why?"

A loud crying started upstairs.

"Oh, yeah, the baby. Sorry, that went-"

"Yeah."

"That went right over my head."

"It did."

"Well…" Teddy started for the door. "Good night anyway, Bobby!"

Bob waved, and once he was gone he locked the door. He started closing up, growing slightly concerned as Tina kept on crying.

"I should go check on them." Bob went over to the sink and started washing his hands. "You guys wait here while I check on my family, okay? Especially you, Mr Spatula. _But you haven't told us your goodnight jokes yet_! Don't worry, Mr Spatula, I will. I promise. _Can't you just tell us one_? _Pretty please_? Well… maybe I can just tell one-"

The sound of crying intensified. "On second thoughts, no. I'll be right back, Mr Spatula!"

Bob ran upstairs. "Hey, Linda, is Tina okay?"

"Oh, she's fine!" Linda was sitting on the couch, buttoning up a red-faced Tina. "I think she just wants to cry it out."

"Do babies do that?"

"Maybe. Who knows?"

"We should!" Bob sat down. "Oh my god, we're terrible parents."

Linda rolled her eyes. "Don't you start again, Bobby. Come on, hold Tina. She'll cheer you up."

Bob gently took Tina into his arms, making sure to support her head. She was so tiny and warm, but Bob couldn't say he was feeling cheered up. "She's still crying, Linda."

"Try rocking her! And maybe loosen up a little; you're like a block of wood! I can feel it!"

"Lyn, stop poking me." He forced himself to relax. "Alright, Tina. There's a good- wait, that's what you say to a dog. Good girl… wait, that's still dog."

Still, Tina started to calm down, soothed by the gently rocking. Bob sat back, smiling a little as he stroked her face. It was soft, and a little damp from all that crying. "There you go, Tina. It's alright. I'm here. Stop, uh, making that groaning sound."

"She can make whatever sound she wants, Bobby!"

"Okay."

With a little sigh, Tina closed her eyes and began to sleep.

"Now that's what you call a good parent." Linda whispered, giving her husband a little kiss and standing up. "Let's put her in the crib now."

"Good idea, before she wakes up again."

They tiptoed across to their room, making sure not to wake the baby. They set her down in the crib, and watched anxiously for a few moments, waiting for her to wake up and start crying again.

She didn't.

"Oh, phew." Bob sat down heavily on the bed, and Linda followed. "I think, well, that turned alright, actually."

Linda grinned. "Yeah. Maybe we're not so bad at this mommy and daddy schtick after all."

"Maybe we're not. Maybe we're actually… pretty good." He laid back. "To early to say, though. I think… well… I could take a little nap…"

"Yeah… nap. Sleeping… that doesn't sound so bad…"

* * *

 _Beep, beep, beep…_

Bob sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Is that the grill? What is that noise?"

With a groan he stood up from the warm, comfortable bed, checking to see both wife and daughter fast asleep. He kept rubbing his eyes; everything seemed a little hazy, and there was a weird smell in the air. It smelled like... burning.

That was when it hit him. "Oh, god."

"Wha- Bobby?"

"Linda?" Bob gently but firmly shook his wife awake. "We need to get out of the house. I left the grill on."

"You left the grill on?"

"I didn't close up properly." He coughed, feeling a burning deep in his throat. "Come on, we've got to go."

Bob scooped up Tina in his arms as Linda sat up. She turned on a light, revealing a thin film of smoke hanging in the air.

Tina opened her eyes at the bright light. "Uhhhhhhh…"

"Shh, shh, shh," Bob held her close as he hurried across the living room, down the stairs, out the door. "Linda?"

"I'm here, Bobby!" She turned to look at the restaurant, thick smoke billowing out of the door. "Oh, god!"

"My restaurant!" He started forwards. "Maybe I can still save it!"

"Bobby, wait!"

Covering his mouth with his shirt, Bob stepped forwards and touched the door. The glass was boiling, and hot smoke puffed out at the disturbance, covering him in soot and deadly fumes. His eyes watered, his face was burning, he couldn't breathe… _he couldn't breathe_!

Bob stumbled back, coughing and hacking. That was an incredibly stupid idea; he tried to vocalise this, but his voice was hoarse and painful.

"Bob! Are you alright?"

He nodded, struggling to his feet and signalling for her to call the fire brigade.

"They're already on their way." Linda pulled him away from the door. "Let them deal with it, Bobby. You're a lot of things, but you're not a fireman."

"I won't," Bob whispered, and fell into a bout of coughing. "How are you and, and Tina?"

"I'm fine. Tina's fine too, and she's being very well behaved."

Tina was indeed fine, if a little anxious. She was looking around, still making that groaning sound.

"You're all alright. Thank god." He looked back to the restaurant, an orange glow in the windows. "I can't believe… I left the grill on. I put you all in danger."

"It was an accident, Bobby. The only thing that matters is we're all safe, okay? Everything else, we can replace it."

"The money..."

"Okay, maybe not everything. We can go without stools for a little." Smoke started to pour out of the top windows. "Or any furniture. Hey, we can get a new couch! And hold a reopening party! We could hang a big banner between that smoke plume and those flames! It'll be great!"

Bob just nodded as she kept talking, one hand on her shoulder. It was the middle of the night, his restaurant was on fire, but he could hear the growing sound of some sirens in the distance.

Maybe things would turn out okay after all. It was too early to say.


End file.
